Interviews From My Car

Alex is one of Devin's best friends. They are wild. They run around and play tennis baseball in the cul de sac. They enact Nerf warfare on the entire neighborhood so frequently that the neighbors bring us the Nerf darts the boys said that they picked up (I know these are lies, but I'm too tired to make a big thing of it usually). If you are looking at them at a glance, or as a blur, Alex and Devin are normal boys. Alex, however, has ADHD, and he had the confidence and insight to allow me to interview him recently.

I asked him where he wanted to do the interview and he said, to no surprise to me, "I want to be interviewed in your car!" We recently purchased a 2022 Honda Pilot Black Edition, which is a big, gas-guzzling, yet loaded with luxurious features, SUV. Devin and his friends have already hit every button in that car--"What does this do? What does that do? What is this for?" Alex is normally barred from the front seat because his ADHD, impulsive brain just can not help but press buttons (literally and figuratively), and I just can not manage him, and drive the car, at the same time. So for the interview, I put the lav mic on him and let him press buttons while I asked him questions.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but he delivered such amazing humor and insight into having ADHD. I know he is a sensitive kid, but the maturity he displayed during this interview was so impressive. You just have to listen to it!

The maturity with which he answered my questions really made me think about the stereotype that most people have about ADHD, and then, the truth. Until recently, my idea of ADHD was the same as everyone else. I saw a rambunctious, disruptive and rude BOY in a classroom. I saw a BOY that was out of control. A behavior problem. "Who are his parents?!"

Let's talk about that boy, first. He might be doing all of those things, and boys do tend to present their ADHD in more external ways, like with the more traditional hyperactivity--running around, can't sit still, interrupts others, fidgety, wiggling, and they struggle focusing. Hyperactivity also can mean that a child, and in this episode we're talking about boys, doesn't feel comfortable in their own body. They feel like they are crawling out of their skin. They literally can not sit still.

What struck me most about Alex's interview was that he was fully aware that he wasn't like other kids. The only thing that makes him feel "normal" is taking medication. He talks about how he remembers that in kindergarten, all of the other kids were told they were doing a good job, and no one ever told him that. And Alex is a very bright and curious kid, but the impulsivity of his ADHD prevented his teachers from seeing him that way.

If you have ever rolled your eyes out an unruly boy, or wondered what was wrong with him, please listen to the podcast episode, "Boys With ADHD--Not Just Hyperactivity," which is out on all of the major podcast apps--Spotify, Apple Podcasts, I Heart Radio, Amazon Music, YouTube, Pandora, etc. This is the 1st of several episodes about ADHD, so tune in!

#ADHD #ADHDInBoys #BoysWithADHDNotJustHyperactivity #45LeftorRightPodcast #Episode20BoysWithADHD #ADHDPodcastSeries